Get your costumes ready and make sure you brush your teeth – Halloween is here. Here’s a sampling of interesting and important news of the day.

First Things First…

For some weekend reading, we highly recommend checking out why Bank of America has become a huge proponent for direct listing. The Washington Post recently did a write up on the process here.

After all the years of chaos that came with IPOs, using a direct listing is quickly becoming a preferred way to . Companies like Shopify and Slack have been setting the trend with direct listings of their own. Some pundits believe this model will only work for larger firms, while others believe it can be replicated with smaller outfits. Time will tell, but this is definitely a trend to keep your eye on.

We Are the Champions

The Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. The championship marks Washington DC’s first World Series title since 1924, a time when the city hosted the Washington Senators (now the Minnesota Twins). An extremely unlikely champion, the Washington Nationals were 12 games under .500 in late May. They had been all but written off, doomed to a disappointing season. With what is a great lesson for business, they kept fighting and never gave up. They earned a Wild Card berth and went 5-0 in elimination games throughout the post season.

The Nationals won every road game throughout the World Series and conversely lost every home game – a feat that hasn’t been replicated in any major professional sport. In what is a win for those of us who are aging, the Nationals are world champions even though they are the oldest team in the MLB; checking in with an average roster age of 31.7 years old. Never give up. It’s never too late.

Congratulations DC!

Are Bay Area Tech Workers Poor?

Did you know that the San Francisco Bay area, home to Silicon Valley, has the highest living cost in America? According to Business Insider, increases in salary have not kept pace with the astronomical rise in living costs. The net result is that some of the best and brightest that call the fertile crescent of American entrepreneurism home are struggling to make ends meet.

Read more here to understand how income inequality has led to massive change in Silicon Valley over the past decade.

a16z Gets Candid on Uber

Ben Horowitz, Co-Founder and Partner at Andreesen Horowitz, opened up recently about Uber’s managerial and cultural mistakes. According to Horowitz, these mishaps almost resulted in the now ubiquitous ride sharing company’s collapse and ruin.

He and his team also share about how to identify a hire that will add value to your organization. In addition, Horowitz explains that having a company culture and sticking to it will build a strong business foundation.

Read more on this valley legend’s take on culture fit and how he passed on AirBnB.

You Spin Me Right ‘Round, Baby, Right ‘Round

Finally, speaking of the holidays, turn tables are a weirdly popular gift item this year – here’s a thorough list if you’re struggling with gift ideas.

Happy Halloween!